TOM’s WCWA Weekly Update – Nov. 21st, 2017

Left photo by Justin Hoch, jhoch.com, Right photo by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

This week’s Women’s College Wrestling Association (WCWA) weekly update features a recap of last weekend’s Missouri Valley Open which included several of the top teams in the national rankings.

McKendree University Rolls to Missouri Valley Open Title against Strong Field

The third-ranked McKendree University women’s wrestling team claimed the team title at the Missouri Valley Open Saturday against very tough competition. The Missouri Valley Open included six teams ranked in the top ten in the most recent WCWA rankings as well as over thirty wrestlers ranked in the top eight of their respective weight class. McKendree’s 242 team points outdistanced second-place Menlo College by 30. The Bearcats accomplished that feat by placing 11 of their 18 wrestlers including three individual champions in Brenda Reyna (123), Megan Black (13), and Alexis Porter (143).

At 123 pounds, fifth-ranked Brenda Reyna cruised through her bracket outscoring her opponents 41-4 to reach the title bout. Her finals opponent, Dionnica Tolliver of Menlo College, knocked off Reyna’s McKendree teammate and second-ranked Gabrielle Weyhrich with an 11-0 technical fall for the chance to wrestle in the finals. Against Tolliver, Reyna secured a fall in 23 seconds to claim the title. In her season debut, two-time WCWA national finalist Megan Black cruised to the 130-pound title for the McKendree Bearcats with two falls and a technical fall. Black, who won the 55 kg weight class at the U23 World Team Trials in October and competed at the NWCA All-Star Classic had not officially suited up for Mckendree prior to this tournament. McKendree’s third champion was at 143 pounds when second-ranked and two -time All-American Alexis Porter reeled off five straight victories to claim the title. In the finals, Porter scored a dominating 12-1 technical fall victory against seventh-ranked Brittany Bates of Wayland Baptist University to give McKendree their third champion on the day.

Seventh-ranked Menlo College secured runner-up honors after placing 11 wrestlers including three finalists. Their lone champion was returning All-American and sixth-ranked Solin Piearcy who captured the 136-pound title after a phenomenal performance on the day. Outscoring her opponents 44-3 on her way to the finals, she then met up with seventh-ranked Nicole Joseph of King University. Piearcy secured a fall in the finals over Joseph to win her bracket. Menlo’s team performance saw them finish in front of three teams currently ranked above them in the most recent WCWA team rankings.

The University of the Cumberlands finished third as a team without a single champion. However, they were able to place 10 wrestlers in the top eight of their weight class. Second-ranked Autumn Gordon was the team’s highest placer after finishing second at 116 pounds. In addition, two athletes wrestling unattached with ties the Patriots program met in the finals at 109 pounds. 2015 All-American Arelys Valles defeated four-time WCWA All-American and current Patriots assistant coach Sarah Allen to win the weight class.

Helping propel Wayland Baptist University to a fourth-place team finish were individual champions Gabriela Ramos-Diaz (116) and Brittany Marshall (170). The fourth-ranked Ramos-Diaz had one of the most impressive performances on the day as she did not yield a single point on her way to the 116-pound title. In five matches she outscored her opponents 45-0 including a 10-0 technical fall in the finals over the second-ranked wrestler in the country. Marshall who is currently ranked fourth in the WCWA navigated what may have been the deepest bracket to secure the championship at 170 pounds. Placing in the top eight at this weight class were five wrestlers currently ranked in the top eight in the country including the second, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh-ranked wrestlers. It did not take Marshall much time at all to pin Menlo’s Precious Bell in the finals to claim the crown.

Rounding out the top five teams was the four-time returning WCWA national champions and fifth-ranked King University. King had eight wrestlers place in the top eight including champion Regina Doi (101). The second-ranked Doi made quick work of her opponents on her way to the 101-pound crown. In the finals, she met up with Wayland Baptist super frosh Asia Ray, currently ranked third in the country. Doi defeated Ray via technical fall by the score of 10-0.